


The Dog Days of Quatre Winner

by noirangetrois



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: GW Mini Bang 2019, Gen, Supernatural Elements, Undercover, Weredog!AU, just the power of friendship, no relationships here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:09:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21704998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noirangetrois/pseuds/noirangetrois
Summary: Heero is missing, and Quatre and Duo are determined to find him. All the usual avenues have failed, so they decide to get creative.
Relationships: Duo Maxwell & Heero Yuy (friendship), Quatre Raberba Winner & Duo Maxwell (friendship), Quatre Raberba Winner & Heero Yuy (friendship)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7
Collections: Unorthodox Undercover Work Mini Bang





	The Dog Days of Quatre Winner

**Author's Note:**

> This fic would not be what it is without the amazing suggestions and beta-reading help by the illustrious [Odamaki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Odamaki/pseuds/Odamaki). Thank you heaps for all your input and support!!

“Quatre, what’s wrong?” Duo asked. “We agreed you’d tell me what’s going on. Why won’t you change?”

Quatre whined, looking at his friend with canine eyes. Something was certainly wrong, and he had no idea what it was.

* * *

Quatre sat at his desk, waiting. The sound of the clock, tick tick ticking, was doing nothing to calm his nerves. This was it. After this, there was no going back.

The intercom on his desk lit up. “Mr. Maxwell to see you, sir.”

“Send him up.”

After a moment, Quatre realized he was clenching his fist over and over, a nervous tick that tended to show up when his anxiety was high. Forcing it to still, he took a deep breath. Everything was going to be okay. It had to be.

There was a knock on the door, and before he could answer, it opened to reveal one Duo Maxwell.

“Q-ball! It’s great to see you. You’ve been so busy with work lately it’s like you weren’t even here!”

“I’m sorry Duo,” Quatre said sheepishly. “With Winner Enterprises going international, I’ve been run off my feet. The dust has settled, though, and I’m finally taking some vacation.”

“It’s about time. Anyway, you said you had to tell me something. Something about figuring out what the hell is going on with Heero?”

“Yes…” Quatre began, the butterflies in his stomach turning into bees. “I have a plan, but it’s… unorthodox.”

“It had better be. Heero’s been dodging all of us for weeks. The usual channels haven’t worked, so it’ll have to be something else. What’ve you got up your sleeves?”

“Umm… I think it’s better if I show you. This might come as somewhat of a surprise, but, well, I think it will help.”

Standing up, Quatre began to remove his clothing.

“What the hell? What’s with the strip tease? I like you, Quatre, but not THAT way.”

“Just hold on a second, will you?” Quatre snapped, his anxiety shortening his temper.

“Okay, okay. Sorry.”

As Quatre removed his last article of clothing, he felt a pang of guilt. “I’m sorry, Duo. I’m just… out of sorts today. Wait just a moment, okay?”

Quatre got down on all fours, and /changed/. It was always a painful process, the reorganizing of bone and sinew, muscle and organs. The sprouting of fur, pale blond like his hair, wasn’t painful so much as it was just a truly strange sensation. Over the years, however, Quatre had become inured to the pain and discomfort, and it no longer took him nearly so long to transform. In a matter of minutes, he was done.

He trotted out from behind the desk, head bowed with uncertainty, and looked up to see Duo standing speechless, jaw hanging open. Deliberately, he wagged his tail, hoping the friendly gesture would put Duo at ease, but the tension in the room continued to grow. Quatre had never seen Duo so stunned.

“I thought you were just an empath!” Duo finally sputtered. “You’re a shapeshifter? Or are you a weredog?”

“Ruff!” Quatre went back behind the desk, changing back as quickly as he could. He stood up and began to dress. “Weredog,” he told Duo. “And I am an empath. Dogs are naturally in tune with the people they’re close to, so weredogs are often empaths as well.”

“Well I’ll be damned. Why did you keep it a secret? I mean, Trowa’s a were too and everyone knows.”

“Trowa isn’t the head of a major corporation. You know about the stigma against weres. It would be bad for publicity.”

“Even when that major corporation specifically employs those with magical abilities?”

“Even then,” Quatre responded, wishing it weren’t true. WE, or WEI now that it was international, had been built by his father as a company that would provide a safe haven for those people who often faced discrimination and even harassment elsewhere, while at the same time leveraging their unique abilities to give an advantage over other companies. It had been a genius idea, as evidenced by the sheer size that the company had grown to in just 20 years.

“And why not at least tell your friends?” Duo asked, looking slightly hurt. “It’s not like we wouldn’t keep a secret.”

Quatre sighed. “I know. I just… I guess I’m embarrassed. I didn’t want you guys to think of me differently. Rationally, I knew you wouldn’t, but, well, the last time I told someone I trusted the truth, they turned on me instantly. I couldn’t bear for that to happen again.”

The hurt in Duo’s eyes melted into compassion. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. I had no idea.”

“It’s in the past, years ago. What’s important now is that I can use this to our advantage.”

“How, exactly, do you plan to use your abilities as a were to suss out what’s going on with Heero?”

Quatre grinned. “Just think about it. Heero adores dogs, right? I just have to show up looking pathetic and he’ll take me in. He’s always taking in strays. He won’t think twice about it, and I can watch him to figure out whatever is going on.”

“You’re right!” Duo said, practically jumping in excitement. “There’s one problem, though. Nobody has any idea where he’s gone.”

“Right. I… haven’t quite figured that part out. Surely, though, the two of us working together can find where he’s hiding?”

“This is Heero we’re talking about, Quatre,” Duo replied, doubtful. Quatre just looked at him and waited.

“Okay fine,” Duo capitulated. “What can it hurt? You probably haven’t had much time to look into it with how busy you’ve been, and two minds are better than one, right?”

“Exactly. Trust me, Duo. I’ve got a good feeling about this.”

The braided man couldn’t help but smile in response. “Well in that case, we’re sure to succeed.”

* * *

Quatre pulled up in front of a small house in a neighborhood outside the city. The yard was given over to an extensive vegetable and herb garden, but the most notable feature of the house was the paint job.

Duo had taken pains to find a neighborhood without any sort of homeowner’s association expressly so he could paint his house, as he put it, “however the fuck I want to.” The house was painted black with fluorescent green trim that even glowed in the dark, striking to the eye if nothing else. And of course, all the windows were covered with blackout curtains, so even those were black.

Quatre walked up the path that separated the two halves of the garden and knocked on the door, which opened almost immediately.

“Quatre!!” Duo exclaimed. “It’s so good to see you!”

Quatre shook his head, amused. “We just saw each other yesterday, Duo.”

“I know, but it’s always good to see you,” Duo said with a wink. “So, you get any new ideas about how to find Heero?” he asked as he wended his way toward the kitchen. “Tea, right?”

“Yes and yes, thank you.”

“So, what’s your plan?” Duo asked as he put the kettle on to boil.

“It’s pretty simple really. Heero always has at least three dogs that he’s fostering, on top of Wing, right?”

“Right, but how does that help us?”

“Well, he feeds them a raw diet instead of canned or dry dog food.”

“I don’t follow.”

Quatre grinned, enjoying Duo’s befuddlement. “He’s always complaining about how hard it is to get enough tripe for them. He orders through the local butcher, and it took years for the woman to be able to supply him enough to his satisfaction.”

“Right. But he’s not at home, so what does the local butcher have to do with anything?”

“Wherever he is, the local butcher, or even multiple area butchers, are sure to be sold out of tripe. We call around, asking butchers how much tripe they have available to purchase, and when we find one that’s sold out, we check out the area.”

“I dunno, Quat, that sounds like a long shot,” Duo said as the kettle began to whistle. He quickly turned off the stove, then poured the hot water into a teapot shaped like a black cat.

Quatre sighed. “It is a long shot, but it’s the only idea I’ve come up with. Do you have a better one?”

“No,” Duo admitted, then pulled out two mugs and poured the tea, handing one to Quatre. “I guess it’s worth trying. Wanna take turns making the calls?”

“Yes please,” Quatre replied, then tentatively sipped the tea. “Oh Duo, this is wonderful!”

“I thought you might like it,” Duo said, grinning. “Alright, I guess the first step is to search out butchers. I’m guessing we should start in the center of town and work our way outwards?”

“That works. Let’s give this a try.”

* * *

Three hours later, the two were still at it.

“Quatre, I think this is a bust. We’ve searched all of Sanq, as well as a 50 mile radius around the city. Time to think of another plan.”

“Let me just check one more, Duo. See that one? It’s kinda far out of our search radius, but it would be just like Heero to go somewhere completely remote. The town has a population of 50, with no larger city within 30 miles of it.”

“It’s all you, Quatre. I’m gonna make some more tea.”

Quatre clicked on the butcher shop to bring up the number, then quickly dialed.

“Otto’s Meat and Poultry, how can I help you?”

“Hi. I was wondering how much tripe you had in stock. I’m looking to buy quite a bit.”

“Sorry to say, but I don’t have any.” Quatre started to feel a glimmer of hope.

“When will you get more?”

“Next Monday, but I already have a customer who’s reserved the whole batch. If you’d like, I can add any quantity you like to the following week’s order.”

“That’s alright, thank you anyway,” Quatre responded, hanging up and then rushing to the kitchen.

“Duo, I’ve found him! It’s gotta be him!”

“What’s this? Really?” Duo asked, in the middle of pouring more water into the teapot.

“The butcher is sold out of tripe, and someone has already ordered the entire next shipment.”

“You know it might be someone else, right?” Duo said cautiously.

“Of course, but there’s one way to find out for sure. All you have to do is take me there while I’m a dog and I’ll be able to smell whether Heero has been there recently. Scents I’m familiar with are easy to pick out, even if they’re old.”

“Okay, let’s say it’s really him. How do we find out where he’s actually staying? The houses in that area are spread out for miles.”

“Well, we go back on Monday. That’s when the next shipment arrives. You drop me off before the butcher’s opens, and I hang out looking pitiful and approach Heero as he’s leaving the butcher. He’s bound to take me in. You know how he is with dogs.”

“Alright Quatre, that actually sounds like a pretty good plan. But… if it does turn out Heero was there, how on earth are we going to find out which house he’s staying in? They’re so spread out, it could take ages.”

“That’s where you come in, Duo. Aren’t some of your ghosts willing to help you out from time to time?”

“Sure, the ones I’ve been able to help that chose not to move on. Why do you ask?”

“If you ask one to come along, wouldn’t they be able to search much more quickly?”

“Quatre, that’s a brilliant idea! And I know just the one. Howard’s a sucker for mysteries, he’ll be thrilled to help us out. Plus, he has an affinity for technology, so if there’s anything high tech that needs sleuthing, he’s our man. So, when should we go scope out the butcher’s to see if it really is Heero?”

“How about tomorrow?”

Duo grinned. “It’s a date!”

* * *

They arrived in the town late the next morning. Quatre had transformed before they left, to be certain no one would see him change.

“Alright Quatre, let’s do this,” Duo said. Quatre wuffed softly in response, eliciting a grin and an eye roll from his companion. Duo parked in the small parking lot aside the butcher shop, then got out and went around the car to open the door for Quatre. He clipped on the leash they’d bought the day before and Quatre leaped out, leading Duo toward the store.

“I know it’s hot out but something tells me the butcher won’t want you inside the store,” Duo said, though they’d already discussed this part of the plan. “I hate to leave you, but you said it’d give you a chance to search out Heero’s scent.” Quatre turned and gave him a look. “I know, I know, we already hashed all this out. I talk when I’m nervous, so sue me.”

Duo tied the leash to a signpost out front, then sauntered into the butcher’s. Quickly, Quatre went to work, sniffing the ground outside the butcher’s, getting as close to the door as he dared. It didn’t take long to suss out Heero’s scent. He must have been there just a few hours before, as the scent was very strong.

Elated, Quatre sat down next to the signpost and prepared to wait.

As soon as Duo exited the butcher’s, package in hand, Quatre barked twice, the signal that Heero had been there. Immediately, Duo’s face lit up with a smile.

“Awesome! I’m really glad, because it was awfully hard to imply that I wanted to switch my dog over to a raw diet without actually lying to him. Alright, let’s head home.”

Quatre wuffed once again in response, then led the way back to the car.

* * *

At a remote turnout about thirty minutes outside of town, Duo pulled over so Quatre could get out and change back into human form. Once Quatre was done, Duo handed him his clothes and Quatre began to get dressed.

“Duo, he was there just hours ago! I bet Howard can find him really quickly if he just checks recent footage on those traffic cams I saw at all the lights. Who knew such an out of the way town would be that technologically advanced?”

“I, for one, am grateful for it,” Duo replied, then turned away from Quatre and started talking to what appeared to be thin air.

“Howard, do you think you can do that? Yeah? Awesome! We are so going to owe you for this. We’ll wait here. Yeah, I know it could take a few hours. We’ll be fine. Thanks again.” He turned back to Quatre. “Now, we wait.”

* * *

“I’ve told you about the CEO of my main rival, Khushrenada Industries? Well, gossip is that he’s having an affair with his secretary. Not that I’m surprised, the guy’s a scumbag,” Quatre was saying when Duo held up his finger to ask for silence, then turned toward the back seat of the car.

“Keystone Road? North on Keystone Road from Merrimac Lane? Howard, you’re the best. Yes, I promise, I’ll look in on your son again and tell you what I find out. Feel free to get out of here, or stick around if you’re curious. Thanks again.”

Quatre had already gotten out his phone, pulling up the road in question. “It looks like there are three houses along the road before it heads into the forest. They’re pretty spaced out, but the farthest one is only four miles from the intersection. If you drop me off there, I can figure out the one Heero is in and use my doggy wiles to charm him,” Quatre joked.

“Four miles, in this heat? Are you sure?” Duo asked, concern evident on is face.

“We knew it might come down to something like this. As long as I chug that ice water we brought before I change, I should be okay. Don’t worry, Duo, I’ve got this.”

“Alright, let me look at that map. We need a place we can meet up so you can tell me what’s going on. Oh I remember this place, from when we were looking at the town earlier. East on Merrimac? That diner is out of business. We can meet there. How about a week from today, 9 AM? It shouldn’t be quite so hot in the morning, and hopefully you’ll have enough information that you won’t have to go back.”

“That’s a good plan, Duo. 9 AM, a week from today. Alright, let me chug that water, then I can change back and you can drive me over there.” Quatre reached into the back seat, but stopped when Duo put a hand on his shoulder.

“Promise me you’ll be careful? Above and beyond the fact that this is rattlesnake country, with Heero, there’s no knowing what he’s gotten himself into.”

“I promise, Duo. Don’t worry.”

Duo shook his head as he smiled. “Can’t help it, Quat. But you promised, and you always keep those, so I’ll worry a little less. Let’s do this, shall we?”

* * *

It didn’t take long to drive to the intersection. Duo opened the door for Quatre, who jumped out and gave a wag of his tail and soft ruff to say goodbye. Duo saluted him and drove off, headed back home.

Quatre went north, keeping his nose to the ground. A barbed wire fence separated the first property from the road, with just enough space between for Quatre to run. On the other side, a field of long, dead grass stretched towards the hills on the horizon, spotted here and there by large oaks and sycamores. He could smell cattle, though none were in sight.

About fifteen minutes later, he came to a driveway. There was a closed gate preventing him from entering the property, but happily there was also a mailbox. He could smell human, but it definitely wasn’t Heero.

The heat was really starting to get to him by the time he reached the second driveway, and he was disappointed to find once again that the human scent present did not belong to his friend. Up ahead he saw an oak tree up against the fence, and he trotted over to it and laid down in the shade, panting.

Howard better be right about which road Heero was on, Quatre thought to himself. He let himself rest for ten minutes, then stood up, setting a faster pace than before so as to get out of the heat sooner rather than later.

When he came to the last driveway, he was very relieved to find Heero’s scent by the mailbox, but instantly faced a dilemma. Like the first house, this one had a gate blocking the driveway that was latched. It was too high to jump over, and the fence on either side was still barbed wire.

He decided to venture a little farther in hopes that there would be a hole in the fence. He was in luck. A few yards down the road, the top wire between two of the fence posts had sagged. He was pretty sure he’d be able to jump it. He checked the street for cars and, finding none, went far enough into it to give himself a running start, then leapt over the fence.

Or tried to. His back left paw caught on the sagging top wire, and he yelped in pain as it tore through the bottom of it. He landed in a heap, panting. Contorting himself to get a look at it, he found that it was bleeding, but not badly. Looking around, he realized with dismay that he couldn’t see the house. The driveway stretched into the distance where he could see some trees but nothing else.

Standing up, he limped toward the driveway and headed into the property. His foot burned with every step, no matter how little weight he put on it. Gritting his teeth, he did his best to ignore it and made steady progress away from the road.

He almost didn’t notice the sound of the car, he was focusing so much on ignoring the pain and the heat. Once he did, he stopped and sat down, panting in relief and hoping that Heero would see him. Happily, the car slowed and came to a halt, and Heero stepped out onto the road.

“Hey there, good boy,” Heero said, approaching slowly. “You were limping. Everything okay?” Quatre almost snorted in amusement, despite the pain he was in. It was always funny to him when people spoke to dogs as if they could understand. Though of course in this case, that was actually true. Instead, he wagged his tail, then whined.

“Something hurts, doesn’t it?” Heero reached his hand out, steady and sure, and Quatre wondered at how he didn’t seem worried about being bitten. Trying to be mindful of how dogs usually reacted to new people, he gingerly sniffed Heero’s hand, then licked it and whined again.

Heero knelt down, looking him over with a clinical gaze. “No collar, but you’re too well behaved not to belong to someone.” He reached out again, petting Quatre on the head while he assessed him. “Better get you to the vet. Come on boy, into the car.” Heero returned to the car, reaching into the glove box to produce a dog treat. “Come here, boy. Good dog.” He opened the back door for Quatre, who took the proffered treat and complied, climbing awkwardly into the car.

The inside of the car was a good ten degrees cooler than outside, much to Quatre’s relief. He sprawled out across the back seat, panting and trying not to think about the pain in his foot.

* * *

“There’s no chip?” Heero asked.

“No, sir,” the vet tech replied. “And no one has notified us of a missing dog. We can take care of getting him to the pound, though, once his paw has healed.”

“The pound? That won’t be necessary. I’ll take him home. What do I need to do to take care of his paw?”

As the vet tech explained, Quatre mentally sighed in relief. He’d been pretty certain that Heero would take him in, but had had a moment of panic when the tech mentioned the pound. He would have had a hell of a time getting out of there without revealing himself.

“Come on, Sandy,” Heero said, and it took Quatre a moment to realize he was being addressed. “Come on good boy. That’s it. Let’s go get you a collar and leash.” Quatre stood carefully, woozy from the painkiller they’d given him, and hobbled to the car.

Quatre came to as they turned down the driveway where Heero had found him. Lying on the back seat as he was, Quatre couldn’t really see much out the window until they reached the trees he’d seen in the distance, two sycamores and a sprawling old oak. It wasn’t long until they passed what looked like a barn, and soon after that the car came to a stop.

Heero got out and went into the house, leaving Quatre wondering why he’d been left in the car. A few minutes later, Heero came back out and opened the back door. Quatre jumped down, then wavered, unsteady on his feet. Heero immediately knelt down, petting him for reassurance. “It’s okay, Sandy. Good boy. Let’s get you inside.”

Quatre followed him toward the house, then hesitated at the steps. His paw didn’t hurt anymore, but he was still really woozy.

“Come on, Sandy. You can do it,” Heero encouraged. Quatre braced himself, then carefully put a paw on the first step, then another. It wasn’t as hard as he’d thought, and soon he was on the porch.

It was then that Quatre noticed the barking, four distinct barks emanating from inside. He recognized Wing’s, a deep, full sound that belied the relatively small stature of the labrador-pit bull mix it belonged to. The others were new to him, but that was no surprise. Heero was always taking in new foster dogs once the ones in his care found forever homes.

When Heero opened the door, Quatre was expecting to be bowled over by the other dogs, but none came.

“Don’t worry, Sandy. The other dogs won’t get to you, they’re in their kennels. Come on, come inside.” Fleetingly, Quatre wondered again at how Heero was talking to him as if he could understand. Then he saw the big water bowl and forgot everything else. He made a beeline for it, lapping up water until his stomach bulged.

"That’s it Sandy, good boy. Alright, come on over here,” Heero said, beckoning as he walked over to a dog bed in the living room. Quatre briefly noted that it smelled like what must be all four of the dogs, but as soon as he laid down, he was out.

* * *

Quatre came to slowly, realizing after a moment that his hunger must have woken him. Hunger and the heavenly scent of raw meat.

He lifted his head to look around, only to see in the corner of the living room that there were four large dog crates. Each had closed doors, and inside the four other dogs were eating the raw meals Heero was known for feeding his dogs.

“You awake, Sandy? Hungry?”

Quatre whined.

“I haven’t gotten your crate assembled yet, so you’ll just have to eat out of this plate.” Heero set a large plate down with a raw chicken leg and what looked like a frozen kidney. Quatre felt himself begin to drool. “It may not be what you’re used to, but something tells me you’ll adapt just fine.” Quatre eagerly set to, entirely missing the glint of amusement in Heero’s eyes.

The meat was delicious, though Quatre wasn’t quite sure he liked the feel of crunching bones in his mouth. He’d never stayed in dog form long enough to have to eat before, so this was an entirely new experience. Better, he supposed, than eating kibble, at least. When he was done, Heero took away the plate, and Quatre resolved to get a better idea of where he was staying.

The other dogs had finished as well, and were now lying down in their crates, looking his way with curiosity.

“Alright Quatre, time to meet the gang.” Heero clicked the leash onto his collar, then led him to the first cage.

“This is Wing. Say hello, Wing.” The dog in question, a white pit-lab mix, had stood up and was pressing his nose through the wires of the crate, sniffing and wagging his tail with excitement. Quatre approached, sniffing back and wagging in turn, then giving a soft woof of greeting. Wing woofed in return.

Heero introduced him to the other three as well. Scythe was a jet black mutt that looked like he was pit as well. Army was a giant dog of a breed Quatre didn’t recognize, and Dragon was a black Shar Pei.

“Alright, good boy. Ready to go outside?” At the mention of the word “outside,” the other dogs perked up instantly. “Not you,” Heero said to them. “You’ll get your turn after Sandy.”

To Quatre’s dismay, Heero did not remove the leash once they were outside, but instead took him on a short walk around the back yard. Quatre realized that he was being kept on the leash so he wouldn’t run around and make his paw worse. The implications of this began to sink in immediately. How was he supposed to discover anything if he was basically on house arrest?

* * *

The next day, Quatre still wasn’t sure what he was going to do. First thing in the morning, Heero had let each of the dogs out of the back room to greet him, without crates between them, one by one. Once that went well, he’d allowed them all in one room together, and Quatre was relieved that they all seemed to be accepting him. He hadn’t been sure if his status as a weredog would be noticeable or bothersome to them, but if they could tell, they didn’t seem to mind.

Heero once again put Quatre on a leash to take him outside, while the other dogs were allowed to roam free. Heero hooked his leash to a fence, then started throwing a ball for the others to chase after, and while Quatre wasn’t sure he was excited about playing fetch, he felt he’d rather be doing that than be stuck in one place. By then, however, the painkiller had worn off, so he couldn’t have run anywhere even if he’d wanted to.

After breakfast, where the infamous tripe made its first appearance, Heero left the dogs to their own devices. Quatre could see through a window in the living room that he went into the nearby barn, but that was all. A few hours later, Heero returned to eat lunch and let the dogs out (briefly, as the heat of the day had set in), then went back to the barn.

That was when Quatre began to hear noises. He wasn’t sure what they were at first, but after a while he heard what distinctly sounded like a small explosion. What on earth was Heero working on in there, Quatre wondered.

Things quieted down after that, and not long after Heero returned. Quatre noticed immediately that Heero smelled different from he had when he’d left. What he didn’t smell like, however, was any sort of explosive that Quatre knew of. Given Duo’s hobby of building things that go boom, he was pretty familiar with what that would smell like. Quatre couldn’t identify just what the smell was, and he began to wonder even more.

After feeding the dogs, letting them out again, and having his own dinner, Heero sat down on the living room sofa with a book. Wing immediately hopped up and took pride of place next to him, and Heero pet him absentmindedly as he read.

Frustrated, Quatre decided he would need to figure out something, and soon. He only had five more days before the rendezvous with Duo, and he needed to have something to show for it.

* * *

Heero went to bed around ten, and Quatre spent the better part of two hours debating with himself before finally making a decision. It was a risk, but he’d decided he needed to change back into a human so he could let himself out of the house and go explore the barn. Heero was a notoriously light sleeper, so he’d have to be very careful, but Quatre thought he could do it. At least he hoped he could.

Standing up, Quatre first made sure the other dogs were asleep. Wing and Army were both snoring, and Scythe and Dragon seemed to be sound asleep as well. Then, Quatre padded over toward the bedroom door. It was ajar, and from inside came the sound of steady breathing. It was now or never.

Walking back to the entryway, Quatre began the change. Or tried to. At first, nothing happened. He put it down to the remnants of medication in his system, and tried again. Slowly, agonizingly, his muscles and bones began to rearrange, his fur to retreat back into his skin. When he was done, he found himself panting from the exertion. Never before in his life had the change been so difficult, not even when he was first learning how.

Pushing that worry aside, Quatre slowly unlocked and opened the front door, then closed it softly behind him. Despite the daytime summer heat, the night was cool, and he felt goosebumps begin to prick his naked skin as he ghosted over toward the barn, limping as he did his best not to put weight on the ball of his left foot, where the cut was located now he was human. It was awkward and unpleasant, and it took him longer than he liked to reach the barn, but there was nothing he could do about that.

Once there, he was frustrated to find that Heero had secured all possible entrances. The main doors had a padlock Quatre knew he could pick, but he hadn’t thought to grab anything that could function as lock picks from the house, and he didn’t have time to make a second trip to the barn. Not without taking too much risk: he’d be caught. He resolved to return the next night and try again.

After getting back to the house, Quatre initiated the change once again. Somehow, this time was even harder. He wouldn’t have thought that possible. He thought maybe changing twice in so short a time might be why, but a little voice in the back of his head pointed out that that hadn’t ever been the case before. He was too exhausted to think much more about it, though, so he simply crawled back into his crate and fell asleep.

* * *

The next day was uneventful, with Heero spending most of his time in the barn, while coming back to the house periodically to take care of the dogs. He was still leading Quatre outside on the leash, and Quatre expected that would probably be the case for the rest of the week before he went to meet Duo. He could only hope he found some answers that night when he picked his way into the barn.

It was not to be. When Quatre slipped quietly out of his crate that night, it was to find that Heero’s door was wide open while he typed away on his laptop. He turned his head, noticing Quatre.

“Hey there Sandy. Couldn’t sleep either? Come here, good boy.” Quatre had no choice but to go over to Heero and submit himself to being pet, before curling up at his friend’s feet. Eventually, the tap tapping of Heero typing lulled him back to sleep.

The next day followed the same pattern. Quatre found himself itching for nightfall, but when it finally came, he forced himself to wait longer than he had the night before, in the hopes that Heero would be asleep this time. He had no such luck. Heero was on his laptop, and Quatre’s plan was thwarted once again.

If Quatre had been in human form, he would have been pulling his hair out. He wasn’t sure how Heero was still functioning with so little sleep, because each night he stayed up until the wee hours, typing away at whatever he was working on (Quatre had tried to get a look but his doggy eyes couldn’t make out what the text was on the screen). Soon, the night before his rendezvous with Duo came. Quatre resolved to try once again, but didn’t have much hope.

When he snuck out of his crate, however, it was to find that Heero was fast asleep in his bed. Mentally cheering, he made his way to the entrance to change back into human. Or tried to. He kept trying, remembering how difficult it had been the last time, but to no avail. Quatre was not only frustrated, he was beginning to become alarmed. Why couldn’t he change? What would happen if he was stuck as a dog?

Eventually, exhausted from his efforts, he went back to his crate, but he couldn’t fall asleep. His mind was in a panic, and it took a long time to calm himself down. The next day, he would find a way out of the house and get to Duo. Duo would be able to find some way to help him.

In the morning, Quatre had to force himself to eat. He had no appetite, his stomach twisted in knots of anxiety. But he forced the food down, then waited for Heero to head to the barn.

By this time, the cut on his foot was largely healed, and he didn’t have any pain while walking. He hoped that the long distance he’d have to run to the meeting place would be no different.

Heero left, and Quatre made his way to the bathroom, praying that the door would be unlocked. It was. He’d noticed earlier, while searching the house for ways to escape, that Heero left the window in the bathroom open for ventilation, since there was no fan. It was just above a chest of drawers that Quatre was pretty sure he could jump up on.

He was right. Once up there, he began pushing at the screen with his front paws. It wasn’t budging, so he resorted to tearing it open with his claws. Before long, he’d torn a large enough hole to jump through and leaped down to the ground.

Luckily, the bathroom window overlooked the backyard, on the other side of the house from the barn. The barn didn’t have any windows, but if Heero came back to the house earlier than usual, he wouldn’t immediately see him.

Quatre made his way over to the nearby trees, trotting along behind them until he was on the far side of the barn, then making his way to the driveway, where it was easier to run than through the long grass.

When he reached the fence, Quatre went farther down than he had before. He wasn’t going to try the same jump he’d tried before, only to injure his paw. It took him about 15 minutes, but he eventually found a segment of fence where the barbed wire was sagging all the way down to the ground. He jumped over, then headed toward the rendezvous place.

* * *

He arrived to find Duo pacing in the parking lot. When he turned and saw Quatre, the look of relief on his face was profound.

“Finally! You know you’re an hour late, right? I was imagining horrible things happening to you. Don’t scare me like that again!”

Quatre ruffed in response, trying to look remorseful. He wasn’t quite sure how to communicate to Duo that he couldn’t transform, though he figured his friend would figure it out eventually. Looking around, he trotted over to a shaded part of the lot and lay down, panting.

“Oh right, you’re probably really hot. I brought water bottles in a cooler, they’ll be nice and cold for you.” Duo looked at him expectantly for a minute. “Well, aren’t you going to change?” Quatre shook his head. Duo’s brows creased in concern.

“Quatre, what’s wrong?” Duo asked. “We agreed you’d tell me what’s going on. Why won’t you change?”

Quatre whined. Something was certainly wrong, and he had no idea what it was.

“Can you change?” Duo asked after a long pause. Quatre shook his head. “Why?” Not sure any better way to convey that he didn’t know, Quatre shook his head again. “You don’t know?” Quatre wuffed, and Duo began to pace again.

“I don’t know very much about weres. I’ve never heard of something like this happening. We’re gonna need outside help. Trowa! I’ll ask Trowa. If he doesn’t know he’ll probably know somebody who does. Now, do you know what’s going on? Have you figured out why Heero has holed himself up here?”

Quatre shook his head once again.

“I can’t ask you to go back. I can always go over there and confront him. We need to figure out what’s wrong with you first.”

“Ruff!!” Quatre barked, shaking his head emphatically, then walking in the direction of Heero’s house and barking again.

“Are you sure? You really want to go back?” Quatre nodded. “Ok, well we need another meeting time. Can you meet me here in three days? Same time? That should give me enough time to figure something out with Trowa.” Quatre nodded again. “Okay, let’s see if I can get some of this ice water into you without having a bowl.”

Duo ended up just pouring the water out while Quatre lapped at it as it fell out of the bottle. It wasn’t very efficient, and most of it ended up on the ground, but it was better than nothing.

“Alright, Q. Three days. Take care of yourself.” Quatre barked in acknowledgment, then headed back toward Heero’s place.

* * *

Heero was waiting for him on the porch when he came trotting up the driveway. He stood up and walked toward Quatre, a look of relief on his face.

“Sandy! I was worried about you. Come inside out of the heat, let’s get you some water.”

Quatre was more than happy to go into the air-conditioned house and lap up water to his heart’s content.

“Wherever did you get to, anyway? You made quite a mess out of the screen in the bathroom. I’ll have to keep that window closed from now on.”

Quatre had figured that would be the case. He’d have to come up with another idea within the next three days. In the meantime, he was even more determined to figure out what was going on.

The only clue came on the next day, when Heero returned to the house with a burn on his left hand. Quatre was able to get close enough to smell it, and found that of all things, it smelled like ozone.

He’d smelled that before, on magic users after they’d been conjuring. But how could that be? Heero was human, not magical.

He was still puzzling over it when it came time to meet Duo again. Happily, the latch on the bathroom window was one that he could open by grabbing it with his teeth.

About an hour later, he found himself alone at the meeting spot. Not sure what else to do, he settled down to wait.

And wait. And wait. It wasn’t until almost two hours later that Duo arrived. He promptly exited the car, apologizing immediately.

“I’m so sorry Quat, but I was getting the last of the ingredients I needed. You have no idea how difficult it can be to find marsh mallow root, especially powdered. Trowa did some research, and found a potion that can aid in the transformation. It’s probably going to taste foul, but I’ve got it here. Let me get it into a bowl for you.”

Duo was right, it did taste foul, but Quatre drank every drop. Anything to be able to become human again.

“Trowa said it would take a few hours to kick in. Let’s say we hang out in the car, get out of the heat?”

Duo managed to keep up a one sided conversation with no apparent difficulty, which surprised Quatre not at all.

“Oh! And I almost forgot! I sent Howard searching since you hadn’t found anything after a whole week. That barn near the house? There are wards on it to keep ghosts out. Heero must have hired somebody to set them for him. Whatever he’s doing, he really doesn’t want anyone to know about it. I guess he probably anticipated me trying to find out. Anyway, it’s been two hours. Do you think you wanna try?”

Duo let Quatre out of the car and Quatre began to concentrate, willing himself to change. He cleared his mind of all of his worry, focusing on the change. To no avail. Panting from the exertion, he lay down on the pavement.

“Nothing?!” Duo asked, incredulous. “Trowa was so sure it would help. Maybe it’ll just take a little longer? It just hasn’t kicked in yet?”

Quatre figured that might be true, but he wasn’t very hopeful. There had to be something else that would do the trick, though. There had to be. He refused to spend the rest of his life as a dog. In the meantime, however, he was going back to Heero’s. He had one clue, and he was determined to find more.

He indicated this to Duo by heading back toward Heero’s, looking back at Duo over his shoulder.

“Are you kidding me? How can you go back? We’ve got to figure out what’s wrong with you!”

Quatre barked, shaking his head, taking a few more steps in the same direction.

Duo narrowed his eyes. “You’ve found something, haven’t you?” Quatre barked again, nodding his head. “But you don’t know exactly, just a clue?” Quatre nodded again. “Alright, man, but I still think we should prioritize fixing your problem. I’ll talk to Trowa again. We’ll figure out something. In the meantime, I’m sending Howard to keep an eye on things. You need anything, anything at all, just start barking up a storm. That’ll tell Howard to come get me.”

Quatre woofed in acknowledgment, then took his leave.

* * *

This time when Quatre returned, he headed for the barn instead of the house. He figured Heero might be waiting for him again, so he went to the side that couldn’t be seen from that vantage point. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to get inside, he wanted to sniff around to see if he could find any more clues.

There was nothing interesting to smell around the back of the barn, so he decided he might as well risk discovery and sniff around the front. What was so strange about a dog exploring some scents, after all? No reason for Heero to suspect anything. There was nothing interesting until he came to the main entrance, the one with the padlock he knew he could pick. Again he scented ozone.

Was Heero keeping a magic user captive for some reason? Forcing them to conjure for him for some inexplicable reason? Quatre couldn’t believe that, not of Heero, but it was the only explanation he could think of.

“Hey, good boy. What were you doing, running off again like that? Come on inside.” Quatre looked up to see Heero walking toward him from the house. Apparently he’d been waiting from him again. Quatre wagged his tail and trotted toward him and followed him inside, all innocence.

Soon after, Heero headed back to the barn. Like many times before, loud noises soon began to emanate from the barn, again sounding like explosions. Quatre knew there were spells that could create such effects, and given what he had smelled, it seemed the most likely explanation. But who, or what, was doing the conjuring?

After one particularly loud explosion, Quatre saw Heero stagger out of the barn, clearly injured. His anxiety spiked, knowing there was little he could do to help his friend. Heero made it to the door and Quatre both saw and smelled extensive burn marks on Heero’s left arm and torso. In some places, his shirt had simply burned away. Heero fell to his knees, then looked Quatre directly in the eyes.

“Get help,” he pleaded, then fell face down on the floor, passed out from the pain.

For a moment, Quatre panicked. How was he supposed to do that when he was stuck as a dog? But then he remembered what Duo had said about Howard. He began barking, and the other dogs, who had come over to investigate, joined in. Having no idea whether Howard had heard him or not, he kept barking until his throat was too raw to continue.

The other dogs soon quieted as well, and Zero approached Heero, whining. When Quatre realized he was about to lick Heero’s burns, he jumped between them and growled. Zero was clearly startled, then began to growl himself. Quatre then gave a soft wuff, wagged his tail, and laid down between Zero and Heero.

Again, Zero didn’t seem to know what to make of it, but soon walked over to Heero’s other side. There were no burns there, so Quatre let him lick to his heart’s content, apparently trying to wake Heero up. Eventually Zero gave up with a whine, then laid down next to Heero, ready to keep vigil.

* * *

It must have been two hours before Duo finally arrived, during which time Quatre had to exert quite a bit of effort not to give in to panic. Burns had to be treated as soon as possible, and that was obviously not happening.

Duo barged in the door, quickly taking in the scene. After muttering a curse, he made a beeline for the phone and dialed. Quatre’s acute hearing allowed him to pick up the other end of the conversation.

“Emergency services, what is your emergency?”

“My friend burned himself really badly, we need an ambulance.”

“What is your address?”

“142 Keystone Road.”

“An ambulance is on its way, sir. It should be there in about 30 minutes.”

“30 minutes!? That’s way too long!”

“I’m sorry sir, but that’s the soonest they can get there. It’s a fairly remote location.”

“Okay, okay, it’s not your fault, I’m sorry for yelling. Do you need me to stay on the line?”

“No, sir, unless you have any further questions.”

“No, I don’t, thanks for your help.”

“You’re welcome.”

Duo hung up the phone, then pulled out his cell phone. “What are you supposed to do to treat burns, anyway?” he mused aloud. “Come on! I know the reception out here sucks but there’s got to be some! Okay, it says to cool the burn by running it under cool, not cold, water. That’s not going to work, I don’t think I can move him without ripping them open. Oh! Cold compress! That I can do!”

He went over to the counter and grabbed some paper towels, wetting them in the sink, then placing them over the burns on Heero’s shoulder. He repeated this process until all the burns were covered, then started pacing.

“How long has it been, anyway? I didn’t pay attention to the time.” He looked at Quatre, who was sitting nearby, feeling as helpless as Duo. “I haven’t gotten a hold of Trowa again, so I don’t know what we’re going to do about you. We’ll figure it out once we get Heero taken care of, yeah?” Quatre woofed his response, and Duo seemed satisfied. “This is taking way too long. Heero, what the hell were you thinking? I wish you could tell me what happened, Quatre.”

Duo continued on in that vein until finally, the crunch of gravel could be heard as the ambulance arrived. Duo threw open the door for the EMTs to enter.

“How did he burn himself?” One of the EMTs asked after assessing the situation.

Duo shook his head. “I have no idea. He was like this when I got here.”

The EMT frowned, but didn’t ask any more questions. Before long, Heero was loaded onto a stretcher and wheeled away. Duo followed them out, and Quatre followed Duo.

When the EMT saw Quatre following, she shook her head. “Dogs can’t come in the ambulance.”

“That’s his service dog.” Duo improvised.

“Umm.” She looked to the other EMT, who shrugged. “What sort of service dog?”

“Heero gets seizures. The dog can tell when it’s about to happen and get help.” Quatre was impressed, though he knew Duo was going to feel awful about this later. He hated lying, and had a strict policy against it. One he was apparently willing to break for the sake of his friends.

“Fine. Just get his leash and make sure he doesn’t get in the way.”

“Yes ma’am.” He ran inside to grab the leash, emerging soon after and clipping it onto Quatre’s collar. “Come on, boy, into the ambulance,” he said for the EMTs’ benefit.

It took them 45 minutes to get to the nearest hospital. In the meantime, the EMTs replaced the wet paper towels with clean bandages, but only after elevating Heero’s legs and covering them with a blanket. Quatre recognized it as a treatment for shock, and overheard Duo muttering to himself that he should have thought of that.

When they arrived at the hospital, Heero was wheeled into the ICU and Duo was told they’d need to wait in the waiting area until Heero was stabilized. It was a long wait, especially with nothing to do. Duo took a cursory look at some of the old magazines that were lying on a side table, but couldn’t concentrate on them. Eventually he went to inquire about getting a bowl he could put water in for Quatre, which didn’t take long. It wasn’t until several hours later that they got any news.

The doctor who came to speak to them took them to a small room nearby.

“Your friend has suffered extensive 2nd degree burns and went into shock as a result of them. We’ve treated both of those as best we can for now. He’ll need to stay in the hospital for at least the next few days, possibly longer if there are complications. You can visit him now for a few minutes, but he’s still unconscious. Now, I understand that this is his service dog? For seizures?”

Quatre could see a look of guilt on Duo’s face, but he stuck to his guns. “Yes he is. Will he be able to stay with him?”

“He won’t be able to be in the room when we’re changing the bandages. We don’t want any fur getting into the wounds. But at other times he can stay in the room. Will you be able to bring some food for us to give to him?”

“That won’t be a problem.”

“Alright. I’ll make sure the nurses take him out to do his business and make sure he’s fed and given enough water. Would you like to come see Heero now?”

“Yes please.”

They followed the doctor through several hallways before finally arriving in a small room. Quatre saw bandages peeking out where the blanket wasn’t covering him, and an IV drip hooked up to his good arm.

“We’ve administered antibiotics and a tetanus shot, and he’s currently being given fluids and a small amount of morphine for the pain. A nurse will come let you know when it’s time to leave.” With that, the doctor left the room, the door swinging shut behind him.

Duo walked over to the bed, taking Heero’s good hand in his own. “What on earth were you doing anyway? Whatever it was, it must have been really dangerous. And for what? You’ve got a lot of questions to answer when this is all over, buddy.”

After a minute, Duo let go of Heero’s hand and went to sit on a chair next to the bed. “Guess I’m gonna be buying you some kibble, Quatre. Something tells me they won’t be down with feeding you raw. Not that I’d know what to feed you. And those other dogs! I guess I’ll be taking some time off of work so I can look after them. They’ll have to get used to kibble too. What a mess…” Duo put his head in his hands, clearly overwhelmed. Quatre sidled up to him, leaning against his legs in what he hoped was a comforting way.

Duo looked up again. “And I’ll be in touch with Trowa, see if we can’t figure out what’s going on with you. I promise.”

Quatre woofed in acknowledgment, and just then a nurse came in.

“Time’s up. Mr. Maxwell, is it?”

“That’s me.”

“Doctor said you’d bring some dog food for…”

“Blondie, his name is Blondie. And yes. I just need a ride back to my car, but I’ll figure that out. Should be back within a couple of hours.”

“That’s fine then. Has he been out recently?”

“Oh, err, no. Want me to take care of that?”

“That’s okay, you wouldn’t know where to take him. I’ll see you soon with the dog food.”

“Alright, then.” He hesitated, then looked at Quatre. “Take good care of Heero for me, okay?” With that, Duo was gone.

* * *

Heero didn’t wake up until the next day. A nurse was checking his vitals when he began to groan, eyes fluttering open.

“Hello, Mr. Yuy. Welcome back to the land of the living.”

“What…?”

“You’re in the hospital. You suffered extensive burns on the left side of your body, though no one seems to know how. You’ve been here since yesterday afternoon.”

Heero looked around, his eyes coming to rest on Quatre.

“You let my dog stay with me?”

“Of course. Service dogs are always allowed to stay with their owners.”

Heero just grunted in response, looking back over at Quatre before closing his eyes again and falling back asleep.

Duo and Trowa arrived a few hours later.

“Hey Quatre!” Duo greeted. “Nurse tells me he woke up earlier?” Quatre nodded. “Of course it wouldn’t be while we were here… Ah well. I hope you’re doing okay cooped up in here.” Quatre wagged his tail to indicate that he was. “So, I brought reinforcements,” Duo continued, gesturing toward Trowa.

“I’m sorry the potion didn’t work,” Trowa said. “I’ve been reaching out to some of my were contacts in other cities to see if they have any ideas, but I haven’t heard back yet.”

“...no need,” came Heero’s voice, almost too quiet to hear.

“Heero!” Duo exclaimed, then rushed to his side, once again grasping Heero’s good hand. “How you feeling, buddy?”

“Like shit,” Heero replied with a grimace.

“What do you mean, no need?” Trowa interjected.

“It’s just herbs. Powdered slippery elm and burdock, mixed in with the ground beef patties he gets at dinner.”

“Wait a minute,” Duo said, astounded. “You’ve been drugging Quatre? You knew it was him all along?!”

“Of course I knew it was him. And don’t worry - the herbs are harmless, they just prevent weres from being able to change. It’ll wear off in a few days.”

“How did you know?” Trowa asked. “I could smell it on him, but you’re not a were and I never told anyone. Duo didn’t even know.”

“I did my research. I wanted to know more about the family that established such a unique company. It took some digging, but the information isn’t as secret as you might think. Not if you know where to look.”

“Okay, so you knew. Why the hell drug him?” Duo demanded.

“Didn’t want you guys to find out,” Heero mumbled.

“You’d better tell us,” Trowa insisted. “Not only have we been worried about Quatre, we’ve been sick with worry about you. And whatever you were doing, you seriously injured yourself. I think we have a right to know. We’re your friends, Heero.”

Heero scowled. “I wanted to figure it out on my own.”

“Figure what out?”

“Sorcery.”

“But…” Duo began, confused. “You’re human, Heero. You can’t just ‘figure out’ sorcery.”

“I’m not human,” Heero replied. “I thought I was too. But then, strange things kept happening. Sorcery is inherited, so most sorcerers learn about it from their parents. How was I supposed to learn about it when I never knew my parents, when nobody knows who they are? I did some research on what was going on, then tried out a few things. I’m a sorcerer.”

“Okay, so you’re a sorcerer,” Duo replied. “Why in the hell did you go off on your own to experiment rather than look to another sorcerer for help? It requires training, everyone knows that!”

“Who was I supposed to ask? Do you know any sorcerers that you trust? They’re not exactly common.”

“You could have asked Zechs.”

“Would you trust Zechs?”

“Well… no. But there are reputable sorcerers out there!”

“And neither you nor I really know them!” Heero argued, clearly as frustrated as Duo was. “I did my research. I found guides, detailed guides.”

“And look how well that turned out,” Duo quipped.

“Enough, both of you,” Trowa said. “What’s done is done. Heero, can you at least agree to get some guidance going forward? If you can figure out Quatre’s secret, you must be able to research the sorcerers that work for WEI well enough to find one who’s trustworthy.”

Heero didn’t respond right away. “Fine,” he agreed eventually.

“And you’re sure the herbs will wear off soon?”

“They leave the system within a few days. The last dose he had was… how long have I been here?”

“Since yesterday afternoon,” Duo replied.

“Two nights ago, then. He should be able to change back tomorrow or the next day.”

“Good,” Trowa responded. “Now I think you have some apologizing to do.”

There was silence for a moment, then Heero looked over at Quatre.

“I’m sorry. Really. I just… I couldn’t think of any other way to keep my secret. I didn’t want anyone to know until I’d figured everything out, until I could conjure on my own. Which… was apparently a bad idea. I’m sorry, Quatre.”

“So, we have a bit of a problem,” Duo said after a brief pause. “Quatre may be able to change back, but if he up and disappears, the staff here is going to be very concerned.”

“The nurse said something about a service dog. What exactly did you tell them?”

“That you get seizures, and Quatre can sense them coming.”

“You… you lied for me?”

“Damn right I did! I couldn’t leave him behind, and I didn’t want to leave you alone, either. What else was I supposed to do?”

“Duo… I’m sorry.”

“Just don’t act like an idiot and put me in that position again, okay?”

“Okay,” Heero agreed, chastised.

“So Quatre can’t leave,” Trowa said.

“Not until Heero does,” Duo agreed. “I’m sorry Quat. I didn’t think it through.”

Just then, a nurse bustled in.

“You’re awake! Good. Alright boys, you’ll have to leave. It’s time to change his bandages.”

“Do you know how much longer he’ll need to stay?”

“I can’t say for sure, but he’s responding well to treatment. It might be as soon as a few days, but it’s up to the doctor. You really do need to leave, though. Can you take Blondie with you while we do?”

“Sure can!”

“Okay then, out you go. I’ll come get you when we’re done.”

* * *

“Alright, Heero, home sweet home,” Duo said as he parked in front of Heero’s house. “I brought the dogs here from the farm house, so you’re going to have a full welcome party.”

“Thank you for looking after them, Duo,” Heero replied as he exited the car, then opened the back door for Quatre to climb out of, still in dog form.

“No problem, Heero. But I’ve gotta get back to work. If you need any more help, you’ll have to hire someone.”

“Understood.”

The three of them entered the house and were soon bombarded by some very enthusiastic canines. “Sit!” Heero ordered before they could bowl him over. They obeyed instantly. “Good dogs,” petting each of them in turn.

“Quatre, I’ll put this bag of clothes in the bathroom. I bet you can’t wait to change, huh?” Duo asked.

Quatre woofed in agreement, following closely behind his friend. Duo exited and closed the door behind him to give Quatre some privacy.

Quatre stood for a minute before trying to change. Heero had said it would wear off, and it had been a week, so surely he could change? Part of him was afraid to try, only to find out that he couldn’t.

He pushed his fears aside and began the change. It came as easily as it usually did, and before long he was human again. He stayed on all fours for a moment, slowly getting used to the change. He’d become so accustomed to being a dog, his human form seemed almost foreign.

Eventually he got up and got dressed, then headed back to the living room where he’d left Heero and Duo.

“Quatre!” Duo exclaimed, running over to give him a hug. “It’s so good to see you!” Duo stepped back. “I mean, I’ve been seeing you, but you know what I mean. How does it feel to be human again?”

“Wonderful!” Quatre turned to Heero. “How are you feeling?”

Heero shrugged. “It hurts, but not as badly as it would without the painkillers. You heard the doctor say that the scarring should be minor and there won’t be any effects to my range of motion once I heal. I’ll be fine.”

“I’ve got some good news for you,” Quatre continued.

“Good news?”

“I know exactly who can train you with your new abilities. Her name is Sally Po, and she’s been working for WEI for years. Her specialty is actually in training young sorcerers. You can look into her of course, but she’s an excellent teacher and a wonderful person.”

“I will, then.”

“Do I hear a thank you in there at all?” Duo teased.

Heero looked taken aback, then shrugged self consciously. “Thank you Quatre. Thank you both, for going to so many lengths to check on me, and getting me to the hospital after I burned myself… I don’t know what would have happened without you.”

“What are friends for?” Quatre asked. “I’d give you a hug, but I’m guessing that would be painful?” Heero nodded. “In that case, I’ll give you a hug once you’re healed. Now I don’t know about you two, but I’m starving and I’ve been craving human food for I don’t know how long. Who’s up for some takeout?”

**Author's Note:**

> Not only has Odamaki beta-read this piece, she also created fanart for it as part of the Gundam Wing Unorthodox Undercover Work Mini Bang! It's amazing and I love it to pieces. It can be found [here](https://lemontrash.tumblr.com/post/189523967998/my-art-for-the-gw-unorthodox-undercover). Check it out!


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